Dropbox: Using Selective Sync / Adding or Removing Folder(s) to Desktop App

This article explains that selective sync is a feature in the Dropbox desktop app that lets you choose folders to remove from your hard drive so you can save space on your computer. The folders you choose to remove from your hard drive remain stored in your account on dropbox.com.

Environment 

U-M Dropbox

Issue

How to use selective sync in the Dropbox desktop app to free up hard drive space.

Resolution

Selective sync lets you choose which folders you’d like to store on your computer’s hard drive from all of the folders you have stored in your U-M Dropbox account. If you check a folder, that folder and the files and folders inside it are saved to your hard drive. If you uncheck a folder, that folder and the files and folders inside it are removed from your hard drive and are only available online while connected to the internet/via the Dropbox website.

Note: Automatic, local desktop syncing for Team Folders is turned off by default. You will have to use selective sync in the desktop app to add it to your desktop sync. You must also install the Dropbox desktop application to use selective sync.

You can view the sync status of your folders from your desktop app preferences or from the Dropbox folder on your computer. (Refer to Sync icons in the desktop app for a thorough overview of each icon.)

 Local/available offline — The file/folder is saved to your hard drive and online at dropbox.com

 Sync in progress — The file/folder is updating

 Online-only — Learn more about online-only files with Smart Sync

 Mixed — The folder contains files and/or folders that are local and online-only

 Sync error — The file or folder can’t update or sync. Learn more about sync errors

Choose which folders to store on your hard drive

To check and un-check which folders to store on your computer:

1. Click the Dropbox icon in your system tray/toolbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
2. Click your icon/initials in the top right corner.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Click the Sync in left column.
5. Click Modify under the Selective sync section.
6. Check the boxes beside the folders you’d like synced to your computer.
   1. Un-check the boxes beside folders you’d like removed.
   2. Folders that aren't selected will be available online only on the Dropbox website.
7. Click Update.
8. Click Update again to confirm.

Additional Information

Note: Once a Team Folder is created, it may take time for it to be seen in Selective Sync. When Selective Sync is opened, there may be a notice that says, "ITS has added you to [GROUP]. However, it will not sync to your computer."  It may take 10 to 20 minutes (more or less) for the Team Folder to appear in Selective Sync to choose per the above steps.

One common cause content may not sync is that certain characters in the folder name are not allowed on the target OS. Refer to the Dropbox Help Center for more information.

Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.